blackly

/ˈblækli/

//ˈblækli// adv

"blackly" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“blackly” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - With a black appearance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-blackly · blackly · English

blackly · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "B" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for blackly
PropertyValue
Headwordblackly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈblækli/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “blackly” in English

blacklyfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

blackly is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˈblækli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

blackly doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From black + -ly. The correct English form is blackly, spelled B-L-A-C-K-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    With a black appearance.
  2. 2
    Darkly or gloomily.
  3. 3
    Wickedly.
  4. 4
    In accordance with black cultural sensibility.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how blackly appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Here and there, sun glanced off water, and slick surfaces shone blackly orange in the morning light.
  2. Maccario, it was evident, did not care to take the risk of blundering upon a picket, and a man led them by twisting paths until at last the hacienda rose blackly before them.

Etymology

From black + -ly.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "blackly"?
"blackly" is spelled B-L-A-C-K-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈblækli/.
What does "blackly" mean?
As an adverb, "blackly" means: With a black appearance.
How do you pronounce "blackly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blackly" is /ˈblækli/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "blackly"?
From black + -ly. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list